Community Corner
Rally Planned In Worcester To Support Striking St. Vincent Nurses
The Saturday rally outside City Hall will include a march to St. Vincent Hospital, according to organizers.
WORCESTER, MA — A handful of groups will hold a rally Saturday in Worcester to support St. Vincent nurses, who are approaching the 150th day of a labor strike.
The event will begin with a rally at Worcester City Hall followed by a march to the downtown hospital. The rally comes as St. Vincent prepares to reduce services on Monday, a move hospital leaders say is necessary due to reduced nursing staff.
"The organizers see this event as drawing attention to the nurses’ cause and a vehicle to engage the entire community," a news release about the event said. "They support those taking on corporate greed and taking a stand for the public good."
The two sides have met multiple times over the past few months to end the strike but haven't reached an agreement. The nurses are seeking a new contract, and they want it to include a guarantee of increased staffing across the hospital — but hospital executives claim the facility does not need a boost in nursing staff.
Related: St. Vincent Hospital Owner Earned $834M In Q2, Stimulus Included
The group Massachusetts Jobs With Justice is organizing Saturday's rally, but it will also include members from Worcester Community United, Parents Union of Massachusetts, Worcester Democratic Socialists of America, Independent Socialist Group, Worcester Socialists Alternative, and the Tenant and Housing Alliance of Worcester.
The rally begins at 11 a.m. Saturday at Worcester City Hall, 455 Main St.
